Ash can with retractable wheels



Dec. 6, 1955 P. LEYSTRA 2,726,094

ASH CAN WITH RETRACTABLE WHEELS Filed April 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Shaet l HUI i'lllflll """HU I: 58 a 20 20 H a 54 Peter Leys/ra INVENTOR.

BY um M 3% Dec. 6, 1955 P. LEYSTRA 2,726,094

ASH CAN WITH RETRACTABLE WHEELS Filed April 6, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Peter Leysf/a INVENTOR.

BY mu WW 3M United States Patent 2,726,094 ASH CAN WITH RETRACTABLE WHEELS Peter Leystra, Fair Lawn, N. J. Application April 6, 1954, Serial No. 421,268

2 Claims. (Cl. 280-41) This invention relates to refuse receptacles and has for its primary object the provision of an improved form of such devices which will enable the same to be easily handled and manipulated, this being accomplished by means of retractable wheel assemblies permitting the receptacle to be converted in a minimum of time to a wheel device.

Another object of this invention resides in the provision of an actuating lever for the retractable wheels of a refuse receptacle which is positioned, when the wheels are extended, for use as a handle to aid in handling the receptacle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an assembly in conformity with the foregoing objects wherein latching means is provided in conjunction with the actuating lever to simultaneously hold the same in position for use as a handle and maintain the wheels in extended position.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a rear elevational view of the assembly showing the wheels in extended position;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the assembly shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the assembly shown in Figure 1, dotted lines being used to illustrate the retracted position of the wheels;

Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken along the plane of section line 44 in Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the wheel assemblies.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the receptacle is indicated generally by the reference character and includes the cylindrical upstanding side wall portion 12, a bottom wall 14 positioned somewhat above the lower edge of the side wall. Both the upper and lower edges of the side wall are strengthened by the rigidifying flanges 16 and 18, respectively, and conventional handle members 20 may be provided at diametrically opposed points of the side wall in the manner shown.

As seen most clearly in Figures 1 and 4, the wheel wells 20 and 22 are provided at circumferentially spaced points in the side wall 12 and the opposed side walls 24 and 26 of these wells are apertured to receive the pivot shafts 28 extending therebetween. Stop collars 30 adjacent the opposite ends of the pivot shafts maintain the same in proper position against longitudinal shifting. A wheel supporting arm 32 is associated with each pivot shaft and includes looped ends 34 in its furcations 36 which engage about the pivot shafts for pivotally supporting the arms thereon. The free end of each arm is provided with an apertured boss 38 through which a laterally projecting axle 40 is snugly received, each axle having a wheel 42 associated therewith in the manner shown.

- 2,726,094 latented Dec. 6, 1955 A spring 44 is coiled about each pivot shaft between the furcations 36 of the wheel supporting arms and the opposite ends of the springs are respectively engaged against the undersurface of the arms and with an apertured abutment member 46 on the bottom wall 48 of the wells. Thus, the springs normally urge the arms 32 and their associated wheels 42 within their associated wells as shown most clearly in the dotted line position of Figure 3.

An operating or actuating lever 50 is positioned on the side wall 12 with one end thereof disposed between the ears 52 on the side wall such that the horizontal pin 54 projecting through the ears pivotally secures the lever therebetween. Thus, the lever is securedto the side wall for movement in a vertical plane, between an inoperative position as shown in dotted lines in Figure '3 and an operative position as shown in full lines in the same figure. Transversely spaced lugs 56 adjacent the fixed end of the lever carry therebetween a bar 58 to which the ends of a pair of flexible members 60 and 62 are attached. I V

A pulley 64 is pivotally secured to the side wall 12 adjacent the lower edge thereof, the flexible members 60 and 62 passing thereover and through a slot 66 provided in the lower edge of the receptacle in the manner shown most clearly in Figure 1, to individually train over a pair of pulleys 68 and 70 pivotally secured to the bottom wall 14 for rotation about vertical axes. The bottom wall also carries a further pair of pulleys 72 and 74 pivoted about horizontal axes and the flexible members pass thereover and through openings 76 and 78 in the receptacle, see particularly Figure 1, to terminate at a point of attachment on the arms 32, the apertured depending ears 80 being provided thereon for that purpose. Thus, it will be readily apparent that the springs 44 will normally maintain the wheels within the wells and the actuating or operating lever in the dotted line position shown in Figure 3. However, when the handle is swung upwardly to the full-desired line position shown in Figures l and 3, the wheel assemblies will be extended in the manner shown in full lines in these figures, whereby the receptacle is supported thereby.

The upper edge of the receptacle is provided with a stud or pin 82 and the lever 50 has a ring member 84 loosely engaged thereon such that in the operative position of the lever, the ring may be slipped over the stud 82 to hold the lever in the operative position. The upper end of the lever is provided with a laterally projecting hand-grip portion 86 which functions in the manner of a handle for aiding in the manipulation of the receptacle when it is wheel supported.

In operation, the handle 86 is manipulated to permit the wheels to be extended and the receptacle is then rocked back on the Wheels and tilted to such position as to maintain its balance for ease of manipulation, the hand-grip 86 being utilized as a handle in moving the receptacle to any desired location.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary. However, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those-skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A wheeled refuse receptacle comprising, a body having an upstanding peripheral side wall and a bottom wall, a pair of Wheel wells disposed at circumferentially spaced points on said side wall, a horizontal pivot shaft secured within each of said wells, a wheel supporting arm pivotally engaged at one end of each of said pivot shafts, an axle member secured to the opposite end of each of said arms, a wheel journaled on each of said axle members, an operating lever pivotally secured at one end to said side wall, and swingable between an inoperative position in which it depends from its pivotal connection to an operative position in which it projects above the top edge of said side wall, presenting a handle in the latter position, said side wall being provided with an upstanding pin on its upper edge, a latching ring loosely encompassing said lever and selectively engageable over said pin for latching the lever in the operative position, a guide pulley rotatably carried by said side wall between said wheel wells and adjacent the bottom of the body, a pair of spaced supplementary guide pulleys rotatably carried on the undersurface of said bottom wall, means for normally urging said arms within said wells, and a pair of flexible members connected to said lever and extending therefrom over said guide pulley and thence separately over one of said supplementary guide pulleys to a point of connection to corresponding wheel supporting arms whereby manipulation of said lever will eifeet movement of said arms out of said well into supporting relation to said body.

2. A wheeled refuse receptacle comprising a body hav- 25 ing a peripheral wall, a bottom and a top, a pair of wheel wells disposed at circumferentially spaced points on said wall and adjacent said bottom, a pair of arms having corresponding ends provided with wheels and the opposite ends thereof pivoted in said wells for vertical swinging of said arms into and out of said wells to correspondingly swing said wheels, spring means in said wells operatively connected to said arms to swing the same inwardly of said wells, an operating lever pivoted to said wall for vertical swinging from a downwardly swung position into an upwardly swung position in which it projects above said top, cable and pulley means operatively connecting said lever to said arms to swing the arms out of the wells upon swinging of said lever into upswung position, said arms when swung into said wells extending upwardly from their pivots longitudinally of said wall, and means to latch said lever in upswung position comprising a projection on said body, and a member slidable on said lever over said projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

